Broadcast Prep and the Mountain Girl's Explosive Debut
At this point, broadcasting was basically a done deal for me. I'd already set up the account and channel, and installed all the streaming software. When I hooked up the cam and dove into settings, there I was on screen. No filters needed—flawless skin and long rose-pink hair. No matter how many times I looked, I never got tired of that perfect face.
"Haa.... Look at that plot armor."
I struck a lotus pose with both hands, totally smitten with myself. If someone asked, 'Do you love yourself?' I'd say Yes without hesitation. Sure, I'd lived more years as a woman than as a man, but I still preferred girls. And yeah, that included me. Call it narcissism? Even after nearly 200 years as a woman, I could never see myself falling for a guy—and I didn't plan to start now.
But hey, I was that gorgeous, right? So it wasn't weird at all.
"Still, gotta bump up the brightness a bit."
It looked a tad dim, almost gloomy. Or maybe it was the black t-shirt making it feel that way.
"Might as well try that white dress So-hee-unnie's coordinator sent last time."
I pulled a pristine white one-piece from the closet. It was so simple, you might think the coordinator was phoning it in. But they must've had a reason—no one's stealing a salary for nothing, right? I slipped it on without a second thought, and the result...
"Ooh.... Pure innocence level: insane."
It hit just above the knees, exposing my nape—could've been too revealing. But the white made it feel clean and fresh instead. I twisted in front of the full-length mirror, grinning in satisfaction.
"This is why you hire coordinators. Who knew I had this hidden charm...."
I'd always worn skimpy stuff for better mana flow, so this felt a little off. Almost refreshing.
"Hmm.... Starting the stream like this might not be bad."
The scene I was jumping into was a lawless wild west full of sex jokes. Show up in my usual getup, and I'd just be a high-quality punching bag. So why not aim for a vibe that dodged all that?
I pondered my broadcast concept in front of the mirror and quickly landed on a winner.
"Yes! Concept locked: 'Beautiful Countryside Life of a Mountain Girl'!"
Glamorous babe living solo in the boonies? Fresh combo no one's tried.
Anyone with gear can become a streamer here. It's still Korea's top platform, buzzing with one-man shows. Rack up the views, and you're looking at nine-figure salaries. But that's up to the viewers—most streamers scrape by just to eat. Sure, some do it for fun, but that's the minority.
For me, it was just cover for hunter gigs. No need for crazy fame.
I was about to hit "Go Live" when—
Ding-dong♪——
"Unnie~! I'm here~!"
The doorbell chimed, followed by Ra-yoon's booming voice.
"Huh? Ra-yoon's already here?"
Glanced at the clock: barely 4:30. She'd only come on weekdays twice before, usually rolling in past 5. Did she skip 7th period? Skipping after-school study was one thing, but class? Kinda serious....
I headed to the door and swung it open. There was Ra-yoon in her gym clothes.
"Unnie! Hi!......Huh? You heading out, unnie?"
"Nah? Planning to stay in all day."
"But your outfit's totally different from usual..."
"Oh... this? Changed for streaming."
I'd forgotten she was coming this afternoon. Not hiding the stream, but couldn't exactly broadcast with her around. Starting tomorrow wasn't a bad call.
I gave up on it casually, but Ra-yoon lit up like it was the juiciest gossip.
"For real?! Unnie's streaming?!!"
"Whoops, misspoke. Haven't started yet. You showed right as I was about to."
"Ack! Did I mess it up....?"
"Nah. I'll just go live after dinner. Anyway, Ra-yoon, why so early today?"
"Like you said, unnie—I ran here ji-rong!"
Now that I looked, her gym uniform was plastered with twigs and leaves. She'd legit dashed through the woods.
"Nice! +5 shop points."
"Sudden shop points?"
"Hit 100, and there's a big prize~"
"Whoa!! Shop points!"
The word "prize" turned her into a kid on Christmas.
"So keep at it."
"Yessir! Got it ji-dat!"
I helped her brush off the crud, and we headed inside. In the living room, she spoke first.
"Kinda wild, though. Didn't expect another streamer nearby."
"Hm? Someone else around here streams?"
A streamer in this village? ...Well, one-man media era—anyone could. Still, it bugged me, so I stared.
"Yup! 'Na-hyun'-unnie. Moved from the city a year ago, like you. Caught her stream once—girl's a beast at games!"
Hoo.... Game streamer, huh. OG content, but oversaturated red ocean from all the hype. I'd considered it, but my skills wouldn't cut it.
"Yeah? Why'd she come to a backwater like this?"
Ra-yoon hesitated. "Well.... Heard from Dae-gun-uncle. Severe Otherworld PTSD, so she moved here."
I blinked. No way someone was living out the fake backstory I'd slapped on. In the same neighborhood! Couldn't exactly brag about my "PTSD" to a real sufferer.
"Gotta avoid her...."
"Huh? What?"
"Nothin', just mumbling. Anyway, if you're grimy, wanna shower? Lend you clothes."
I pivoted quick, nudging her toward the bathroom.
"Yeah.... Oh! Unnie, got something to tell you."
She slammed the brakes mid-shove.
"After shower?"
"Nope! I'll forget for sure!"
She knew herself too well.
"You using the fields?"
"Fields? Which?"
"The ones next to your place. Dae-gun-uncle said after you got out of the car yesterday—such a waste letting good land sit idle."
"....?"
Oh, the plots around the pension. Could I use those? Should've planted moon-gazers last month. Then no need to waste that 100-year mandrake on Ra-yoon yesterday.
Not that it mattered much, but felt like using a sledgehammer on a chicken. Still.... Nah. If she hadn't collapsed, I never would've thought to store moon-gazers in my sub-space—or even plant them. Mandrake play was the right call.
"No biggie. Never farmed, so didn't know what to grow. Left 'em be."
I played it natural, not wanting her to suspect.
"Oh, gotcha. Yeah, wrong season anyway. I'll tell Dae-gun-uncle next time."
"Cool, now go wash up."
I ushered her to the bathroom and plopped on the living room sofa.
Hmm.... Plans keep getting pushed. Fine, time for promo.
While she showered, I posed in the full-length mirror, snapping selfies like mad.
Streamers are gems that shine before crowds. But unseen? Just rocks. Self-promo's key. Dwitch's board for newbies floods with posts daily. Usually quiet, but today? Chaos—all from one newbie.
Just 30 minutes since posting, and the comments were on fire in real-time.